Editor’s Note: Portions of this report are a press release.
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BOSTON – MassDevelopment awarded 85 grants totaling $4.4 million from the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program to support 104 small businesses operating in the taxi and livery industries and two taxi and livery industry associations, to end 2020.
Framingham’s Tommy’s Taxi were among the grant award recipients.
The first round of the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program offers taxi and livery operators financial assistance to secure products or services that will aid in improving their competitiveness and enhancing safety capabilities in the rapidly evolving market of for-hire transportation.
The grants will fund expenses including dispatch systems or other equipment, technology-enabled ride-hailing systems, safety enhancements, workforce training programs, and business consultant services, and will help industry associations fund aggregated improvements that will have a collective impact on the taxi and livery industries in Massachusetts.
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The Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program is funded by MassDevelopment’s allocation from the Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund.
“I’m pleased we can target this necessary support for the taxi and livery industries which make up an important component of the Commonwealth’s comprehensive transportation network,” said Massachusetts Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “These grants will support the competitiveness of the taxi and livery industries by helping them make critical adjustments to operate with the health and safety of both their workers and customers in mind.”
Tommy’s Taxi in Framingham received a grant at $50,000.
“We plan to upgrade our dispatch system to a digital system, replace some computers and add more driver training,” said Tommy’s Taxi owner Jo-Anne Thompson to SOURCE media.
“MassDevelopment was tasked with using resources from the Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund to help taxi and livery companies improve their competitiveness, and today we’re pleased to meet that mission by awarding close to $4.5 million in grants to small businesses and industry associations,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Lauren Liss. “These awards will assist taxi and livery operators by equipping them with the tools they need to advance their service, safety, and operational capabilities.”
The Commonwealth’s Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund was created by An Act Regulating Transportation Network Companies, which Governor Baker signed into law in August 2016 and is supported by a 20-cent assessment on every transportation network company ride in Massachusetts. One-quarter of the Fund is being designated to MassDevelopment to provide financial assistance to small businesses operating in the taxicab, livery, or hackney industries.
In August 2020, MassDevelopment announced it is using up to two-thirds of its allotment from the Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund to support the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program, and opened a competitive solicitation for the first round of funding. Small businesses operating in the taxi, livery, and hackney industries could apply for grants of up to $50,000, while taxi and livery industry associations could apply for grants of up to $1 million, and could direct up to $200,000 of such awards toward the purchase of marketing materials that promote the taxi and livery industries.
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The remaining one-third of MassDevelopment’s allotment from the Transportation Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund is supporting the Taxi/Livery Partnership Grant Program, launched and administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in fall 2020, which is an operational subsidy program enabling municipalities, municipal entities, regional transit authorities, health and human service providers, and applicable nonprofits to expand transportation service capacity through contracts with licensed taxi or livery businesses. In response to COVID-19, in April 2020 MAPC launched an early version of this program, the Urgent COVID-19 Taxicab, Livery, and Hackney Partnership Grant Program, to facilitate urgent transportation and delivery needs for vulnerable populations during the pandemic; in November 2020, MassDevelopment and MAPC awarded $1,003,978 through the program to 25 cities and towns, municipal agencies, regional transit authorities, and health and human services transportation providers.
The following businesses and organizations received funding from the Taxi & Livery Business Support Grant Program:
The Transportation Alliance, Inc., Statewide – $1 million
New England Livery Association, Inc., Statewide – $1 million
Boston Chauffeur Service Inc., Beverly – $50,000
2H Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
Addis Ababa Inc., Boston – $15,105
Agaro Taxi Inc., Boston – $15,105
Amanuel Transport Inc., Boston – $10,000
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Betty and Matty Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
Charlbett Cab Inc., Boston – $19,700
Chris and Peter Taxi Inc., Boston – $15,105
DA & MU Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
Dafin Inc., Boston – $19,700
Delta Cab Inc., Boston – $42,500
Emmanuel’s Limousine Services INC, Boston – $25,000
Flying Carpet Cab, Inc., P. I. Cab Inc., Mona Cab Incorporated, Mobarak Cab Inc., J W Cab Incorporated & Lexington Taxi Inc., Boston – $41,300
G Money Cab, Inc., Jo G Cab, Inc., Ralphy Taxi, Inc. & Warrior Taxi, Inc., Boston – $41,300
Gods Will Trans Inc., Boston – $15,105
Michael JoJo Cab, Inc., Emma Jane Cab, Inc., Joyce Cab, Inc., Loomans Cab, Inc. & Valley Taxi, Inc., Boston – $41,300
M and Sam Inc., Boston – $15,105
M1 Airport livery LLC, Boston – $10,000
Melissa Cab Inc., Boston – $4,686
Meshualekia Inc., Boston – $15,105
Mesi And Solo Inc., Boston – $15,105
MIC-Paul Taxi, Inc., Boston – $2,986
Mirka Inc., Boston – $14,310
New England Coach Services, Inc. (d/b/a LS Group), Boston – $13,148
Next Cab Incorporated, Boston – $16,600
Raneem Trans Inc., Boston – $15,105
Samuel Transportation INC, Boston – $35,714
Selam Corporation, Boston – $15,105
Space Cab Inc., Boston – $42,500
United Private Car Inc., Boston – $50,000
Victorian Taxi, INC, Boston – $12,412
Tee Flow Taxi Corp, Boston – $15,105
Teshet Cab Inc., Boston – $15,105
Tremont Street Taxi Inc., Boston – $15,105
Tudor Cab Inc., Boston – $50,000
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Bill’s Taxi Service, Inc., Bridgewater – $50,000
Abyssinia coach Inc., Cambridge – $46,000
Met Boston Limo Inc., Cambridge – $23,920
Prime Limo Services LLC, Cambridge – $37,800
ACC Transportation Group Inc., Canton – $50,000
Annex Transit LLC, Chelmsford – $50,000
Careplus Medical Transport LLC, Chelmsford – $50,000
Boston Domestic Limo, Chelsea – $20,308
Rollo Limousine Services, Inc., Danvers – $12,564.28
Webb Transportation Services LLC, Danvers – $50,000
DPV Transportation Inc., Everett – $10,000
Everett Car Service, Inc., Everett – $50,000
The Drivers Transportation, LLC, Fitchburg – $29,500
Tommy’s Taxi, Inc., Framingham – $50,000
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Haverhill Taxi LLC, Haverhill – $20,000
Town Livery Inc., Lawrence – $50,000
Joseph’s Transportation, Inc., Medford – $50,000
ASLK Corporation, Melrose – $26,490
Laramee & Calley, Inc. (d/b/a All Points Limousine), Millbury – $50,000
Modern Ride, Inc., Needham – $50,000
Nicholas Transportation, New Bedford – $3,000
Places To Go, LLC, New Bedford – $16,000
Dadoo Cab Inc., Jane Mary Cab Inc. & Charlie Cab Inc., Newton – $50,000
MIR Taxi, Photo Cab, VIT Taxi, Newton – $50,000
LAVB CAB INC, LARA CAB INC & VIKI CAB INC, Newton – $41,300
I&V Cab, MIT Taxi, Tim Taxi, TIVI Cab, Newton – $50,000
Michael’s Limousine Co., Inc., Peabody – $30,400
Roman Limousine, INC, Peabody – $50,000
Total Praise Services LLC, Peabody – $8,530
Special Occasion Limousine & Coach Inc., Plymouth – $3,026
Shore Transit Inc., Quincy – $16,800
Really Robin’s Transportation, Raynham – $45,051
One Transportation Group, LLC, Revere – $35,000
Four Star Limousine Inc., Salisbury – $48,501.25
Limo Dave Inc., Salisbury – $34,970.56
Green Cab Co, Inc. (d/b/a Green and Yellow Cab Companies), Somerville – $50,000
Mt Pleasant Taxi, Inc., Somerville – $24,000
D and P Community Transportation Inc., Taunton – $15,220
Mercedes Cab Company, Inc., Truro – $50,000
Blackstone Valley Livery, LLC, Uxbridge – $17,389
Airport Coach LTD, Waltham – $43,837
C&L Air Limo Inc., Westford – $24,696
Rides By Joanne, LLC, Westford – $20,000
RAZ, INC., Weymouth – $50,000
PJM Executive Car Service, Winthrop – $23,000
Nu-Checker Inc. (d/b/a Red Cab), Worcester – $50,000
Safeway Luxury Transportation, LCC, Worcester – $18,585
Youth On The Move INC, Worcester – $50,000
MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth. During FY2020, MassDevelopment financed or managed 341 projects generating investment of more than $2.69 billion in the Massachusetts economy. These projects are estimated to create or support 10,871 jobs and build or preserve 1,787 housing units.
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MetroWest Medical Center